CHARLOTTE, N.C. — President Joe Biden has signed a massive $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill after months of debate.
Besides the stimulus check people will be getting, the law has a lot of money to help people cover rent.
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Nearly half of Americans either missed at least one rent or mortgage payment in 2020 during the pandemic. That amounts to nearly $6,000 in back rent for the average household, according to the Urban Institute.
The $46 billion in the stimulus package for rental assistance will get distributed to states like North Carolina.
The state’s NC Hope program which pays landlords directly is not taking new applications currently, because it’s waiting for the additional funding.
In Mecklenburg County, Channel 9 expects to see some the that money go to programs like RampCLT. It is taking applications until 5 p.m. on Monday. Both of those help pay rent and utility bills.
[ COVID-19 COMMUNITY RESOURCES ]
The federal moratorium on evictions is in effect through March. Many of those agencies are eager to get the funding to keep families in place, but they’re waiting federal guidance on how to use it before it becomes available.